Vanessa Davis, MPH, is Director of Medi-Cal External Engagement and Initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, where she leads cross-sector strategies at the intersection of Medicaid, population health, and community-based systems. Her work focuses on advancing community-anchored models of care that integrate health care delivery with social infrastructure to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Vanessa’s portfolio spans external engagement with county agencies, community-based organizations, and health system partners, as well as the design and implementation of large-scale initiatives that translate policy into practice. She has led efforts to operationalize Medicaid innovations under California’s CalAIM program, including Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, with a focus on building durable community capacity, strengthening care pathways, and aligning investments with population health priorities.
She is recognized for her leadership in advancing housing and health integration, including the development and scaling of medical-legal partnerships, medically tailored meals, recuperative care, and transitional housing strategies. Her work emphasizes the role of community integration as a prerequisite for value-based care and health equity.
Vanessa brings nearly two decades of experience spanning public health, health system transformation, and applied research, including prior roles in Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research and Community Health. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Health from University of California, Berkeley.